Aerodigestive pre-procedure
information
Phone: 404-785-1161
Fax: 404-785-9113
The Aerodigestive team recommends several procedures to treat your child:
 These procedures will help us know how to care for your child's illness.
 More than one procedure may be done during the same visit.
 Your child will be given special medicine that will let him sleep through the procedures. This is
called anesthesia. This medicine will keep your child from feeling pain during the procedures.
 After the procedures, your child will be taken to a recovery room and you may see him after he
wakes up.
Common Aerodigestive Procedures
Your child may have one or more of these as suggested:
o
Endoscopy (EGD): The doctor will use a small, flexible tube with a camera called an endoscope
or scope. The tube is about the size of your child's thumb. The doctor will use it to look at the
upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract. This includes the lining of the esophagus (swallowing tube),
stomach and the duodenum (the first part of the small intestine). The doctor will be able to see
things such as ulcers. They will take biopsies (small samples of tissue). The most common
issues after the procedure are burping or extra reflux.
o
Bronchoscopy or "Bronch": This test uses a scope to take pictures of your child's trachea
(windpipe) and portions of his lungs. The doctor will also take a fluid sample that will be tested in
a lab. The most common issues after the procedure are coughing or wheezing.
o
Laryngoscopy: The doctor will use a laryngoscope (another kind of scope) to look at your
child's larynx (voice box) and vocal cords. Your child may have a slight sore throat after the
procedure.
o
Adenoidectomy: The adenoids are clusters of soft tissue that keep your child from getting sick.
They are in the back of the nasal cavity and are hidden above the roof of the mouth. Sometimes
they get swollen and can cause problems with breathing or sleep. If this happens, then they
need to be removed. Your child may have a slight sore throat or stuff nose after they are taken
out.
o
Tonsillectomy: Tonsils are the areas of tissue on both sides of the throat that help fight
infections. Sometimes they can get swollen. When they get too big, they can cause problems
with eating, breathing, voice quality, sleeping or causing your child to get sick. Taking them out
is called a tonsillectomy. Your child might have a sore throat after the tonsils are removed.
o
Bilateral tympanostomy: This is surgery to place tubes inside your child's ears. The
Eustachian tubes lead from the middle ear to the back of the nose. They help your child's ears
drain. Sometimes they get clogged. This can cause your child to have earaches, infections or
poor hearing. Placing tubes is a quick, helpful way to improve drainage. The tubes are very
small, about the size of the numbers on a dime.
o
Ph Impedance probe: This includes placing a small tube through one nostril down into the
esophagus. This probe collects information over 24 hours related to reflux amounts, direction,
and acidity. After 1 day, the tube is removed. Your child can eat and drink as they typically do
while it is in.
o
Suppraglottoplasty: This removes extra tissue or helps alter tissue that may be causing
obstruction of airflow in the upper larynx which is at the top of the airway. This allows a child with
certain conditions (such as severe laryngomalacia) to breathe more easily. Your child will stay
overnight for us to watch them if this is done.
o
Laryngeal Cleft Injection/repair: A cleft is a hole between the esophagus and windpipe. This
may be diagnosed during a surgery. Sometimes medicine can be injected to help fill in the hole
to see if a repair would help. That medicine wears off over a few months. A repair will fill in the
hole so that it is no longer there.
When will my child have the procedures?
 These are done on the fourth Monday of each month
 Your child's date is: __________________________
Where will the procedures be done?
Your child will have the procedures at Egleston hospital or Scottish Rite hospital. Our office will let
you know where to go.
• Egleston hospital
1405 Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30322
Phone: 404-785-6000
• Scottish Rite hospital
1001 Johnson Ferry Road, Atlanta, GA 30342
Phone: 404-785-5252
How long will the procedures take?
 Plan to spend up to 5 hours at the hospital. Most patients will be able to go home. However, your
child may need to stay overnight so that we can watch him. We will let you know if your child
needs to stay overnight.
You will get a call Friday before the procedures to let you know:
 What time you need to be at the hospital and how to get there
 When your child should stop eating/drinking
 If you do not hear from someone by the Friday before your procedures at 3 p.m., please call
our office at 404-785-1161 so you have this information
What can my child eat or drink before the procedure?
 Specific directions will be reviewed during the Friday phone call. Please follow these
directions exactly or your surgery will be canceled.
 Generally your child cannot eat the following:
 No solids, medicines or foods after midnight the night before the procedures
 No infant formula or milk for 8 hours before you come to pre-op
 No breast milk for 6 hours before you come to pre-op
 No clear liquids or water for four hours before you come to pre-op
 It is helpful not to give your child anything red to drink/eat such as red juice or red
jello at least 1 day prior to the procedure
What happens after the procedures?
 Our team will meet with you when the procedures are done
 Results of any tests will take one to two weeks to come back
 After we get any results, our team will develop a treatment plan
 About two weeks after the procedure, we will call you to talk about your child's treatment
plan. We will send you and your primary doctor the plan.
 Feel free to call us before your child's procedure. We are here to answer any questions or
talk about your concerns.
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